PLoS ONE (Jan 2022)

Severity predictors of COVID-19 in SARS-CoV-2 variant, delta and omicron period; single center study.

  • Fumihiro Ogawa,
  • Yasufumi Oi,
  • Hiroshi Honzawa,
  • Naho Misawa,
  • Tomoaki Takeda,
  • Yushi Kikuchi,
  • Ryosuke Fukui,
  • Katsushi Tanaka,
  • Daiki Kano,
  • Hideaki Kato,
  • Takeru Abe,
  • Ichiro Takeuchi

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0273134
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 17, no. 10
p. e0273134

Abstract

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BackgroundThe outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) treatment have improved due to vaccination and the establishment of better treatment regimens. However, the emergence of variants of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes COVID-19, and the corresponding changes in the characteristics of the disease present new challenges in patient management. This study aimed to analyze predictors of COVID-19 severity caused by the delta and omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the data of patients who were admitted for COVID-19 at Yokohama City University Hospital from August 2021 to March 2022.ResultsA total of 141 patients were included in this study. Of these, 91 had moderate COVID-19, whereas 50 had severe COVID-19. There were significant differences in sex, vaccination status, dyspnea, sore throat symptoms, and body mass index (BMI) (p ConclusionsTime from the onset of COVID-19 to hospitalization is the most important factor in the prevention of the aggravation of COVID-19 caused by the delta and omicron SARS-CoV-2 variants. Appropriate medical management within four days after the onset of COVID-19 is essential for preventing the progression of COVID-19, especially in patients with smoking habits.